AbortionNPR Digital Services RSS Generator 0.94NPR Digital Services RSS Generator 0.94AbortionThu, 10 Aug 2017 05:13:13 +0000Abortionhttp://tpr.org
Jill AmentFrom Texas Standard : Rhetoric from lawmakers on both sides of the abortion debate raged on at the state Capitol on Tuesday over a Republican bill that would require women to pay a separate health insurance premium to get coverage for abortions that are not deemed medical emergencies. The bill is one of several abortion-related measures making headway during this legislative special session. State Reps. Donna Howard (D-Austin) and John Smithee (R-Amarillo), the bill's author, hold opposing viewpoints on the proposed legislation, and each provide a sample of their parties' position on the bill.Abortion Debate Ratchets Up At The Texas Capitolhttp://tpr.org/post/abortion-debate-ratchets-texas-capitol
91268 as http://tpr.orgWed, 09 Aug 2017 21:27:01 +0000Abortion Debate Ratchets Up At The Texas CapitolDavid Martin DaviesHow Election Day Chaos Hurts Texas Voters Long wait times, confusion about voter ID and questions about voter registration – these are just three of the barriers that potential voters ran into during the last November General Election. That’s according to a new report from the Texas Civil Rights Project , a voting right advocacy group. Cassandra Champion is a staff attorney for the Texas Civil Rights Project and helped write the report “Texas Election Protection 2016: An overview of the challenges faced by Texas Voters in the Presidential Election.” Giving Healthy Women Texas a Check-Up It was about five years ago that Texas leaders decided to eliminate funding for Planned Parenthood health clinics – despite that these clinics were not providing abortions and they were delivering needed health services to women across the state. Texas leaders promised that it’s new program Healthy Women Texas would pick up the slack. Did that actually happen? Texas is now requesting federal funding forTexas Matters: Confusion With Texas Voters And A Check-Up For Healthy Women Texas http://tpr.org/post/texas-matters-confusion-texas-voters-and-check-healthy-women-texas
89003 as http://tpr.orgFri, 23 Jun 2017 18:20:52 +0000Texas Matters: Confusion With Texas Voters And A Check-Up For Healthy Women Texas editorSince President Trump took office, there's been an upswing in rallies and protests outside clinics that perform abortions. During the campaign, Trump vowed to try to overturn Roe v. Wade, which has emboldened activists on both sides of the abortion debate. At one abortion clinic in Texas, along the border with Mexico, two young women in opposing camps recently changed their minds about the way they feel and think about the issue of abortion. It's midday on a Tuesday, and 32-year-old Mercedes Soto is standing outside the Whole Woman's Health clinic in McAllen, Texas. It's the last remaining abortion clinic in the entire 1,800-square-mile region known as the Rio Grande Valley. Soto is demonstrating with fellow anti-abortion protesters who call themselves prayer warriors. She doesn't look like the other women praying. She's a lot younger. The word "misunderstood" is tattooed in cursive on the outside of her arm. Soto says she had a rough childhood. She says she always felt isolated andAt Texas Clinic, 2 Women Explain What Changed Their Minds On Abortionhttp://tpr.org/post/texas-clinic-2-women-explain-what-changed-their-minds-abortion
83349 as http://tpr.orgWed, 01 Mar 2017 23:21:00 +0000At Texas Clinic, 2 Women Explain What Changed Their Minds On AbortionU.S. District Judge Sam Sparks ruled Tuesday afternoon that Texas clinics affiliated with Planned Parenthood can continue to care for patients under the state’s Medicaid program, a phew-worthy victory for reproductive rights advocates and a loss for the state's GOP leaders.Judge: Texas Can't Kick Planned Parenthood Out Of Medicaidhttp://tpr.org/post/judge-texas-cant-kick-planned-parenthood-out-medicaid
82931 as http://tpr.orgTue, 21 Feb 2017 23:28:52 +0000Judge: Texas Can't Kick Planned Parenthood Out Of MedicaidColin DwyerOnce more, the National Mall has swelled with demonstrators. Just a week after President Trump's inauguration at the Capitol and six days after the Women's March on Washington, abortion-rights opponents were raising their voices in the nation's capital. The annual rally they call the March for Life attracted demonstrators from across the country Friday. The demonstration, which has been held each year since the nationwide legalization of abortion in 1973, is celebrating a seminal moment in its decades-long run: a speech from a sitting vice president. "Life is winning in America!" Mike Pence told the audience. It was a phrase he repeated often during his brief speech, emphasizing the electoral victories of anti-abortion candidates. That includes President Trump, in particular, who asked his vice president to attend the rally, according to Pence. Americans now have "a president who I proudly say stands for the right to life," Pence told the crowd. And Pence wasn't the only representativeAt Anti-Abortion Rally, Pence Tells Protesters: 'Life Is Winning In America!'http://tpr.org/post/anti-abortion-rally-pence-tells-protesters-life-winning-america
81753 as http://tpr.orgFri, 27 Jan 2017 18:08:00 +0000At Anti-Abortion Rally, Pence Tells Protesters: 'Life Is Winning In America!'Sarah McCammonThe abortion rate in the United States fell to its lowest level since the historic Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision legalized abortion nationwide, a new report finds. The report by the Guttmacher Institute , a research group that supports legalized abortion, puts the rate at 14.6 abortions per 1,000 women of childbearing age (ages 15-44) in 2014. That's the lowest recorded rate since the Roe decision in 1973. The abortion rate has been declining for decades — down from a peak of 29.3 in 1980 and 1981. The report also finds that in 2013, the total number of abortions nationwide fell below 1 million for the first time since the mid-1970s. In 2014 — the most recent year with data available — the number fell a bit more, to 926,200. The overall number had peaked at more than 1.6 million abortions in 1990, according to Guttmacher. Perhaps not surprisingly, given the longstanding controversy around abortion policy, the meaning of the report is somewhat in dispute. Planned ParenthoodU.S. Abortion Rate Falls To Lowest Level Since Roe v. Wadehttp://tpr.org/post/us-abortion-rate-falls-lowest-level-roe-v-wade
81226 as http://tpr.orgTue, 17 Jan 2017 13:01:00 +0000U.S. Abortion Rate Falls To Lowest Level Since Roe v. WadeJan Ross PiedadFor years, critics have alleged that Texas' state-mandated booklet for pregnant women is ideologically motivated and medically inaccurate . Despite having received nearly 13,000 comments after a call for public input in 2016, the Department of State Health Services’ released a revised version on December 7 that many say is worse than before . The first edition of “A Woman’s Right to Know Information Material” was created by a 2003 abortion informed consent law . Doctors and healthcare providers are required to provide the booklet to pregnant patients. “We very carefully reviewed the booklet for accuracy and took to heart the feedback we received over the summer,” DSHS Chief Press Officer Carrie Williams said in an email. “Our focus was on making sure the booklet is helpful, user friendly and medically accurate, and we carefully studied the medical and scientific research available to us along the way. In the end, it's about making sure pregnant women have the information they need toThe Source: Is The State's 'Woman's Right to Know' Pamphlet A 'Propaganda Piece?'http://tpr.org/post/source-states-womans-right-know-pamphlet-propaganda-piece
80759 as http://tpr.orgMon, 09 Jan 2017 13:58:00 +0000The Source: Is The State's 'Woman's Right to Know' Pamphlet A 'Propaganda Piece?'Rebecca HersherUpdated at 6:45 p.m. ET After more than a year of delays, Texas health officials are moving to block the women's health provider Planned Parenthood from receiving Medicaid funds beginning next month. In October 2015, Texas officials told Planned Parenthood that the state intended to bar the organization from the public insurance program. Planned Parenthood responded with a lawsuit seeking an injunction against the state. For more than a year, nothing seemed to be happening. Texas didn't follow through on its threat, and Planned Parenthood clinics — those that are still open after years of other budget cuts by the state Legislature — continued to provide services. Then, on Tuesday, Texas Health and Human Services Inspector General Stuart Bowen sent a letter notifying Planned Parenthood that the state would cut off Medicaid funding in 30 days unless the organization requests an administrative hearing with the Texas Health and Human Services Commission in the next 15 days, The TexasTexas Moves To Block Planned Parenthood From Medicaid Fundshttp://tpr.org/post/texas-moves-block-planned-parenthood-medicaid-funds
80082 as http://tpr.orgWed, 21 Dec 2016 17:03:00 +0000Texas Moves To Block Planned Parenthood From Medicaid FundsRebecca HersherA federal judge in Texas has issued a temporary restraining order blocking new state rules that regulate the disposal of fetal remains from miscarriages and abortions. A preliminary injunction hearing has been set for early January. The rule requires that health clinics bury or cremate all fetal remains from abortions and miscarriages. It was scheduled to take effect Dec. 19, as we have reported . Abortion-rights groups filed a lawsuit on Monday claiming the regulation unfairly "burdens women seeking pregnancy-related medical care" by imposing "a funeral ritual on women who have a miscarriage management procedure, ectopic pregnancy surgery, or an abortion." In June, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a Texas law that required clinics that provide abortions to have surgical facilities and their doctors to have admitting privileges at a nearby hospital. The Supreme Court ruled both provisions were an undue burden and therefore unconstitutional. The regulations on fetal remains wereJudge Blocks Texas Rule That Would Require Burial Or Cremation Of Fetal Tissuehttp://tpr.org/post/judge-blocks-texas-rule-would-require-burial-or-cremation-fetal-tissue
79845 as http://tpr.orgThu, 15 Dec 2016 23:46:00 +0000Judge Blocks Texas Rule That Would Require Burial Or Cremation Of Fetal TissueeditorAbortion providers are hoping to stop a new rule that would require health care facilities to cremate or bury fetal remains from miscarriages and abortions, regardless of the gestation time or a woman’s wishes.Funeral Homes, Health Care Providers Prepare for Unclear Consequences of Fetal Burial Rulehttp://tpr.org/post/funeral-homes-health-care-providers-prepare-unclear-consequences-fetal-burial-rule
79794 as http://tpr.orgThu, 15 Dec 2016 01:23:49 +0000Funeral Homes, Health Care Providers Prepare for Unclear Consequences of Fetal Burial RuleJennifer LuddenAbortion rights groups filed suit Monday to stop the state of Texas from enacting a rule on Dec. 19 that requires fetal remains to be buried or cremated after miscarriages or abortions. The lawsuit calls the rule "politically motivated" and says it aims to shame women. The Texas Department of Health went ahead with the measure despite objections from medical groups. Supporters, however, say its purpose is to provide dignity for "unborn infants." "What we're saying is, it needs to be humane, and the mother needs to be given the opportunity to have a say and be informed with what's happening," says Kristi Hamrick of Americans United for Life. The group has created model legislation intended for other states, similar to the Texas regulation. But the Center for Reproductive Rights says it would be costly to require burials or cremation — a cost that may be passed on to women — and would provide no health benefit. "These regulations are an insult to Texas women, the rule of law and the U.S.Lawsuit Challenges Fetal Burial Rule In Texashttp://tpr.org/post/lawsuit-challenges-fetal-burial-rule-texas
79688 as http://tpr.orgMon, 12 Dec 2016 23:16:00 +0000Lawsuit Challenges Fetal Burial Rule In TexasWade GoodwynAbortion rights activists on Monday filed a challenge in federal court to stop Texas' new rules requiring health clinics to bury all fetal remains from abortions and miscarriages. The regulations also aren't sitting well with another group in Texas, one that hadn't expected to find itself in the middle of the abortion battle: funeral home directors. (Read the rules here and the adopted changes here .) "If the regulations do go into effect, we as an industry, we're real uncertain and real uncomfortable at this point cause we really don't know what to expect," says Michael Land, a past president of and current spokesman for the 4,000 members of the Texas State Funeral Directors Association. When Gov. Greg Abbott first proposed the new regulations requiring all fetal remains from hospitals, health facilities and abortion clinics to be cremated or buried as if they were expired human beings, funeral home directors went to Austin to convey their apprehensions. "Members of our legislativeFuneral Directors Weigh In On Texas Rule Requiring Burial Of Fetal Remainshttp://tpr.org/post/funeral-directors-weigh-texas-rule-requiring-burial-fetal-remains
79687 as http://tpr.orgMon, 12 Dec 2016 23:06:00 +0000Funeral Directors Weigh In On Texas Rule Requiring Burial Of Fetal RemainseditorThe Center for Reproductive Rights announced it is filing a federal lawsuit today against the State of Texas over a rule set to go into effect Dec. 19. The rule requires abortion providers and hospitals to bury or cremate fetal remains from miscarriages and abortions – regardless of gestation time or a woman’s wishes.Abortion Providers Sue Texas Officials Over Fetal Burial Rulehttp://tpr.org/post/abortion-providers-sue-texas-officials-over-fetal-burial-rule
79651 as http://tpr.orgMon, 12 Dec 2016 16:13:24 +0000Abortion Providers Sue Texas Officials Over Fetal Burial RuleDavid Martin DaviesA new state mandate demands burials for fetal tissue is soon to take effect – but the Texas Medical Association says it’s in the dark about the requirements. State and federal officials investigate allegations of corruption and bribery where law breakers could buy their way out of jail. And rural hospitals in Texas are in trouble – there’s been an epidemic of hospital closures. And a growing number of counties in the state are without a single doctor. This is Texas Matters from Texas Public Radio – I’m David Martin Davies In June the U.S. Supreme Court struck down parts of a Texas law that restricted abortion. It found that the state requiring a doctor to have admitting privileges at a nearby hospital to be an undue burden on the ability to obtain an abortion – and the same for the state’s requirement for abortion providing clinics to meet the standards of ambulatory surgical centers. The 5 to 3 ruling was the high court’s strongest statement supporting the constitutional right to anTexas Matters: Texas Medical Association Questions Fetal Burial Dictatehttp://tpr.org/post/texas-matters-texas-medical-association-questions-fetal-burial-dictate
79568 as http://tpr.orgFri, 09 Dec 2016 22:32:40 +0000Texas Matters: Texas Medical Association Questions Fetal Burial DictateeditorThe State of Texas is moving forward with a rule requiring abortion providers and hospitals to bury or cremate fetal remains from miscarriages and abortions. Groups are already gearing up to possibly sue the state over this rule, but the state could have a tough time defending it.The Biggest Hurdle for Texas' Fetal Burial Rule Is Another Texas Abortion Casehttp://tpr.org/post/biggest-hurdle-texas-fetal-burial-rule-another-texas-abortion-case
79439 as http://tpr.orgWed, 07 Dec 2016 19:50:15 +0000The Biggest Hurdle for Texas' Fetal Burial Rule Is Another Texas Abortion CaseNurith AizenmanIt's a policy battle that has been playing out over three decades. In 1984, then-President Ronald Reagan imposed an anti-abortion rule — known as the "Mexico City policy" after the city where he announced it. The rule blocked federal funding for international family planning charities unless they agreed not to "promote" abortion by, among other actions, providing patients with information about the procedure or referrals to providers who perform it. Since then, every time the U.S. presidency has changed party hands, the incoming leader has reversed his predecessor's position on the ban. President Clinton lifted it in 1993. President George W. Bush reinstated it in 2001. And President Obama rescinded it once more in 2009. Will President-elect Trump continue the pattern by reimposing the policy? Trump hasn't taken a public position thus far. But when it comes to several domestic abortion questions he's aligned himself squarely with anti-abortion groups. His pick for vice president, MikeWill Trump Reinstate Reagan's Abortion Rule For International Charities?http://tpr.org/post/will-trump-bring-back-reagan-rule-about-abortions
79383 as http://tpr.orgTue, 06 Dec 2016 13:41:00 +0000Will Trump Reinstate Reagan's Abortion Rule For International Charities?Jennifer LuddenThere's no shortage of speculation about how the incoming Trump administration, whose appointees so far are staunch abortion opponents, might crack down on access to the procedure. But reproductive rights groups say the big picture is getting lost: Women in large parts of the country already have limited access to abortion, due to hundreds of Republican-backed laws passed by state legislatures over the past half-decade. "People are forced to travel hundreds of miles, cross state lines, miss work, lose wages and jeopardize their health and safety to obtain an abortion," says Carrie Flaxman, an attorney with Planned Parenthood. On Wednesday, Planned Parenthood joined the ACLU and the Center for Reproductive Rights in filing legal challenges to abortion restrictions, targeting laws in three states: North Carolina. The lawsuit challenges a law banning abortion after 20 weeks of pregnancy, except in the case of a medical emergency. That is several weeks earlier than the generally agreedAbortion-Rights Groups Challenge Restrictions In 3 Stateshttp://tpr.org/post/abortion-rights-groups-challenge-restrictions-three-states
79137 as http://tpr.orgWed, 30 Nov 2016 20:33:00 +0000Abortion-Rights Groups Challenge Restrictions In 3 StatesCamila DomonoskePope Francis has declared that abortion, which remains a "grave sin" in the eyes of the Catholic Church, can be absolved by ordinary priests for the foreseeable future — instead of requiring the intervention of a bishop. The change was implemented on a temporary basis, for one year only, as part of the Catholic Church's "Year of Mercy," which began last December and ended on Sunday. In a letter released on Monday, the pope announced that the change was being extended indefinitely. "I wish to restate as firmly as I can that abortion is a grave sin, since it puts an end to an innocent life," the pope wrote in the letter . "In the same way, however, I can and must state that there is no sin that God's mercy cannot reach and wipe away when it finds a repentant heart seeking to be reconciled with the Father. May every priest, therefore, be a guide, support and comfort to penitents on this journey of special reconciliation." "Because the Roman Catholic Church holds abortion to be such aPope Francis Grants All Priests The Authority To Absolve Abortionshttp://tpr.org/post/pope-francis-grants-all-priests-authority-absolve-abortions
78760 as http://tpr.orgMon, 21 Nov 2016 12:36:00 +0000Pope Francis Grants All Priests The Authority To Absolve AbortionsJennifer LuddenFact-Checking Trump's Statements On 'Partial-Birth' Abortionhttp://tpr.org/post/fact-checking-trumps-statements-partial-birth-abortion
77247 as http://tpr.orgThu, 20 Oct 2016 12:14:00 +0000Fact-Checking Trump's Statements On 'Partial-Birth' AbortionRyan PoppeWith just few months before the start of the 2017 legislative session, Gov. Greg Abbott is promoting his plan to decrease abortions. Abbott laid out a section of his legislative agenda at the annual Texas Alliance for Life benefit gala in Austin. Similar to his 2015 legislative directive to Texas lawmakers, Abbott is once again focusing on the topic of abortion and one of his initiatives he’d like to see passed in 2017 is an effort that would ban all abortion facilities from collecting and donating fetal tissue. The initiative follows a series of heavily edited online videos featuring Planned Parenthood executives discussing the topic and a state investigation. “The sale or transfer of fetal tissue by an abortion clinic must be criminalized in the State of Texas," Abbott says. The state’s investigation cleared Planned Parenthood of any wrongdoing; the governor would also like to completely eliminate funding for Planned Parenthood. Another initiative Abbott is pushing to have passedAbbott Doubles Down On Anti-Abortion Initiatives Ahead Of 2017 Legislaturehttp://tpr.org/post/abbott-doubles-down-anti-abortion-initiatives-ahead-2017-legislature
76735 as http://tpr.orgFri, 07 Oct 2016 21:09:18 +0000Abbott Doubles Down On Anti-Abortion Initiatives Ahead Of 2017 Legislature